Vertically acting door



May 15, 1962 E. STROUP VERTICALLY ACTING DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

p a w Mm m o a v .n W F 1 May 15, 1962 E. STROUP VERTICALLY ACTING DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1956 INVENTOR. [Ufi/Z 5/70 May 15, 1962 E. L. STROUP VERTICALLY ACTING DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 29, 1956 Tia-.2.

United States Patent 9 3,034,575 VERTICALLY ACTING DGOR Earl L. Stroup, Hartford City, Ind., assignor to Overhead Door Corporation, Hartford City, Ind. Filed Aug. 29, 1956, Ser. No. 606,842 6 Claims. (Cl. 160-40) This invention relates to vertically acting doors which are well adapted for embodiment in trucks, trailers, freight cars and the like.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an upwardly acting door which is effectively sealed when in closed position and at the same time one which may be easily closed and opened.

Second, to provide an upwardly acting door having these advantages in which resiliently compressible seal members are under resilient compression when the door is in closed sealed position and at the same time one in which the door may be opened from sealed position with a minimum of frictional engagement with the seal members.

Third, to provide a door construction having these advantages which may be readily embodied in trucks, trailers, freight cars, cold storage structures and the like without substantial structural modification thereof.

Fourth, to provide a door structure comprising a plurality of hingedly connected sections in which the joints between the sections are eflfectively sealed when the door is inclosed position.

Fifth, to provide a door assembly embodying these advantages which is relatively simple and economical in parts and may be quite easily installed and operate Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary inside view of an embodiment of my invention with the door in closed position, partially in section on a line corresponding to line 1-1 of FIG. 2, certain parts being omitted and others shown more or less conventionally to simplify the illustration.

FIG. 2. is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section on a line corresponding to line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section of the door in closed position, the upright and upper sections of the track and the relation of the rollers thereto being indicated by dotted lines.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding to the vertical section of FIG. 3, further or added details being illustrated.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a door section joint seal member.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view on a line corresponding to line 66 of FIG. 1 illustrating the door as positioned for adjustment to sealing position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal view on a line corresponding to line 77 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view partially in vertical section on a line corresponding to line 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view partially in vertical section on a line corresponding to line 9-9 of FIG. 6, and with the door in unsealed position as is illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view generally corresponding to that of FIG. 9 with the door fully closed and adjusted to scaling position.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated my invention as embodied in the body of a truck or trailer.

3,934,575 Patented May 15, 1962 However, it should be understood that my invetnion is capable of wide adaptations such, for example, as freight cars, cold storage doors and to garage and other upwardly acting doors where sealing of the door is important. The adaptation to trucks, trailers and like merchandise conveying vehicle is especially important as they are very commonly operated under severe conditions of dust, rain, snow and ice and many of the items commonly transported are considered as damaged even when cartons containing the same are soiled.

In the accompanying drawing 1 represents the roof, 2 the side walls, 3- the floor and 4 an end wall having a door opening therein. The door opening is defined by the upright side members 5, the top piece 6 and the sill 7 which in the embodiment illustrated is stepped downwardly somewhat from the floor. The sill is desirably in practice a part of the body frame. These parts are mainly shown conventionally.

In the accompanying drawing the door designated generally by the numeral 8 is of the horizontal articulated sectional type and comprises a bottom section 9, top section 10 and intermediate sections 11. These, as illustrated, are fabricated of sheet metal and the structural details thereof form no part of this invention except that the meeting edges of the sections are meetingly stepped or rabbeted as shown at 12 and 13 so that the edges are in interengaging relation when the door is closed as shown in FIG. 4. The sections are provided with hinge members 14 and 15 connected by pintles 16 arranged in the plane of the upper steps of the rabbeted joint so that one section may swing rearwardly relative to the adjacent lower section.

To provide an effective seal for the joints between the sections when the door is in closed position and at the same time permitting them to swing freely on their hinges I provide stepped seal members 17 which are conformed to fit the upper edges of the sections and are adhesively bonded or otherwise fixedly secured thereto. These seal members 17 are substantially resilient so that they are compressed when the sections are swung into the same plane as in closed position. The lower steps of the seal members are provided with longitudinally extending, preferably hollow, ribs 18 which are substantially flattened or compressed when the sections are in aligned position, as best shown in FIG. 4. This provides a very effective seal or closure between the sections.

The lower edge of the bottom section is provided with a longitudinally extending seal member 19 formed of resiliently compressible material and conformed to fit into the rabbeted lower edge of the section and provided with a forwardly projecting flexible flange 20 and a longitudinally extending collapsible rib 21. This seal member is adapted to sealingly engage the sill 7 when the door is in completely closed position relative to the sill as is best shown in FIG. 10. Inwardly facing seal members 22 are mounted on the jambs or side uprights 5 of the door and a seal member 23 is mounted to face inwardly on the top member 6 of the door frame.

Upright support members 24 of channel section which are disposed to face towards each other are mounted on the inner sides of the upright frame members 5. Upright track sections 25 are disposed within the support members and pivotally mounted at 26 to swing to and from the upright frame members.

Coil springs 27 are arranged to yieldingly urge the swinging ends of the upright track sections rearwardly. The upper track sections 28 have downwardly and forwardly curved front ends 29 which align with the upper ends of the upright track sections as is clearly shown in FIG. 2. The door sections are provided with guiding and supporting rollers 30 coacting with the tracks. The upper rollers are mounted on the upper door section adjacent 3 its upper edge to engage the downwardly and curved front n s 9 t e upper t a k section the r su t n brackets 301 are of such length that when the door is closed the upper portion of the door is swung forwardly a ains t l me ers- To complete the sealing of the door the swingable upright portions of the track are swung forwardly by means of the hand levers or actuating members 31 which are pivoted between the forwardly projecting brackets '32 on the outer side of the upright door side members. The members 31 are provided with an eccentric shaped cam member 33 rotatably mounted on the pivot 34. The cam members 33 engage the openings 35 in the links 36 which are pivoted at 37 to the brackets 38 on the front edges of the swingable track sections, as is clearly shown in 'FIGS. 7 and 8.

In the embodiment illustrated the actuating members 31 are forked to embrace the eccentric cam members 33 rotatably mounted on the pivot 34. The cam members are secured to the levers by rivets 39, see FIG. 7. The links project through openings 49 and to exclude dust and dirt flexible closures 41 are provided for these openings, the links being disposed through openings 42 provided therefor in the closures. With this arrangement of parts the door in lowered position may be pulled forwardly against the seal members andif desired locked in that position by means of -a padlock type of lock, indicated at 43 in FIG. 2, the supporting brackets 32 being provided with holes 44 with which the hole '45 in the levers may be aligned to receive the padlock. This also provides effective means for locking the door.

'Iio insure effective sealing against the sill the door is provided with a vertical catch 46 rotatably mounted in the housing 47 on the front side of the bottom section. The bottom door section is provided with a track engaging roller 48 adjacent its lower edge. The sill is provided with an opening 49 through which the catch may be projected when the door is in sealed position. The catch is provided with a lever-like handle 50 facilitating its manipulation and its camming locking engagement with the cammed keeper 51 disposed on the underside of the sill member, see FIGS. 9 and 10.

- The supporting bracket 52 for the catch is provided with holes 53 with which the holes 54 in the lever 50 may be registered to receive a padlock for locking the latch in keeper engaged position. In this position the seal mem ber on the bottom edge of the door is compressed and provides an effective seal as is indicated in FIG. 10. With this arrangement of parts the side, top and bottom edges of the door are veryeffectively sealed when the door is in closed position. At the same time the door may be quick- 1y released or adjusted into nonsealing relation to thee seal members so that it may be opened and closed without substantial frictional engagement with the seal members.

I have illustrated and described my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof which Ilbelieve will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt to various uses or conditions for which it is adapted. w

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A vertically acting door assembly including side uprights and a top member, a door comprising horizontally articulated sections, the top and bottom section having track engaging members adjacent their upper and lower edges respectively, inwardly facing resiliently compressible seal members mounted on said side uprights and top member, upright track sections swingably mounted at their upper ends, springs acting to yieldingly urge the lower ends of said upright'track sections inwardly, upper track sections having relatively fixed downwardly and forwardly inclined portions at their forward ends aligned with the upper ends of said upright track sections, links connected to the swinging ends of said upright track sections and disposed through said side uprights, adjusting members for said links mounted on the outer sides of said side uprights, the track engaging members adjacent the upper edge of the top door section engaging the downwardly and forwardly inclined portions of the upper track section acting to swin the upper portion of the door forwardly against the seals.

2. A vertically acting door assembly including a sill, side uprights and a top member, a door comprising'ho'rizontally articulated sections, the top and bottom section having track engaging members adjacent their upper and lower edges respectively, inwardly facing resiliently compressible seal members mounted on the inner side of said side uprights mid top member, a resiliently compressible seal member on the bottom edge of the bottom door section, upright track sections pivotally mounted at their upper ends, upper track sections having relatively fixed downwardly and forwardly inclined portions at their forward ends mergingly ali ned with the upper ends of said upright track sections, manually actuated means mounted on said side uprights and accessible from the outer side thereof for swinging said vertical track sections outwardly on their side pivots, the track engaging members adjacent the upper edge of the top door section engaging the downwardly and forwardly inclined portions of the upper track section acting to swing the upper portion of the door forwardly against the seals, a latch on the bottom door section, and a cammed keeper for said latch mounted on said sill.

3. A vertically acting door assembly including side uprights and a top member, a door comprising horizontally articulated sections, the top and bottom section having track engaging members adjacent their upper and lower edges respectively, inwardly facing resiliently compressible seal members mounted on the inner side of said side uprights and top member, upright track sections pivotally mounted at their upper ends, upper track sections having relatively fixed downwardly and forwardly inclined portions at their forward ends mergingly aligned with the upper ends of said upright track sections, manually actuated means mounted on said side uprights and accessible from the outer side thereof for swinging said vertical track sections outwardly on their side pivots, the track engaging members adjacent the upper edge of the top door section engaging the downwardly and forwardly inclined portions of the upper track section acting to swing the upper portion of the'door forwardly against the seals.

4. In combination, a door jamb member, a seal member of resiliently compressible material mounted on said jamb member to face inwardlyan'd'in supported relation thereto, an upright track member swin gably mounted at its upper end, a door provided with track engaging members for slidably supporting said door, spring means acting to yieldably urge the lower end of said track member inwardly, a link pivotally connected to the swinging end of said trackmember and projecting through said jamb member, and a manually operable adjusting member pivotally mounted on the outer side of said jamb member and provided with an eccentric rotatably engaging said link.

5. In combination, a door jamb member, a seal member of resiliently compressible material mounted on said jamb member to face inwardly and in supported relation thereto, an upright track member swingably mounted at its upper end, a door provided with track engaging members for slidably supporting said door, a link pivotally connected to the swinging end of said track member and projecting through said jamb member, and a manually operable adjusting member mounted on the outer side of said jamb member and operatively connected to said link.

6. In combination, a door jamb member, a seal member of resiliently compressible material mounted on said jamb member to face inwardly and in supported relation thereto, an upright track member swingably mounted at its upper end, a door provided with track engaging mem- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Jefferies Nov. 22, 1921 Kline Feb. 12, 1924 1 Johnson Sept. 2-2, 1931 Johnson July 5, 1932. Johnson July 26, 1932 Rowe Feb. 27, 1934 Wheatley June 23, 1936 Smith Aug. 4, 1936 Pilcher Sept. 30, 1941 Blodgett Nov. 13, 1951 Bush et a1 Feb. 28, 1956 Stroup Mar. 18, 1958 

